The field of this invention relates to lubricants and more particularly to a corrosion protective lubricant designed primarily to be utilized on electrical contacts.
Corrosion is defined as the insidious destruction of metals by chemical reaction (mainly oxidation) within the environment. Corrosion is primarily an electrochemical process. Small cells are set up in the corroding metal with the potential difference being due to the different metals present or to different concentrations of oxygen or electrolyte. Corrosion takes place at the anode. In electrical contacts, corrosion occurs due to the intermittent conducting of electricity through the contacts.
Electrical circuits cannot corrode when there is a constant flow of electricity going through it. So, since most equipment is deactivated every now and then, the flow of electricity stops. It is during the "off" time that corrosion develops. Corrosion is like a disease, it spreads and gets worse and worse. It can be controlled and eliminated from your electrical system.
There are various ways to prevent corrosion in electrical contacts. One way is to construct the contacts of electrically conductive material which resists corrosion. However, at the present time, all materials used in making electrical contacts will corrode over a period of months and years. Another way is to protect the contacts from atmospheric conditions. This could be accomplished by enclosing the contacts in a vacuum which in almost all instances is impractical. Another way is to apply a protective metal coating which is known as galvanizing. However, galvanizing decreases or in some cases substantially eliminates conductivity between the contacts. Therefore, galvanizing is also impractical. Another way would be to apply a thin film of oil. However, oil on electrical contacts is at best a temporary corrosion preventer. Instead of using oil, it has been common to substitute a grease with the grease assuming a solid consistency where the oil is a liquid. Grease is known to protect electrical contacts for some period of time and this period of time can be as long as several months.
Corrosion of electrical contacts produces an electrical insulator. This electrical insulator would diminish and eventually completely prevent the conducting of electricity across the contacts. The most common way, at the present time, to prevent the effective corrosion on electrical contacts is to physically remove the produced electrical insulation on the contacts. It is common to manually remove, as by sanding, this insulation. This means that regular periodic maintenance is required of all electrical contacts within a piece of machinery. In certain environments, such as for example on-board a ship where the atmosphere is of continuous high humidity, this maintenance can require a substantial number of man hours over a period of a year. On a typical ship there are thousands of electrical contacts that need to be maintained on a regular basis.
In the past, grease on electrical contacts is known to physically deteriorate after a period of time. Generally this period of time is within months or at best a year or two. Prior to the present invention there has not been utilized any kind of a grease which was an effective protectant for electrical contacts for many years.
In automobiles and trucks, it is common to change parts with the problem not being solved. Only after hundreds of dollars have been spent on parts that were not needed, "faulty wiring" will be determined to be the culprit. Electrical systems need more attention than what they are getting.